Gripping device



pril 29, 1952 A, DUGUAY 2,595,129

GRIPPI'NG DEVICE Filed May 20, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 6:5 f/4 H \\/MMIS\ Q April 29, 1952 Filed May 20, 1946 A. DUG U AY GRIPPING DEVICE 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 AAAA A/AA,

l INVENTOR zffJ/Zfc? Jaja-ag f7 77- 01'? NEKS. I

Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES f PATENT v GRIPPING DEVICE Alphonse Duguay. St. Clair Shores, Mich.

Application May 20, 1946, Serial No'. 671,114

means, andfmore particularly to an improved claims. (C1. 24a- 361) container-' supporting device having gripping means of, particularl usefulness in ice cream cabiv nets for'supporting ice` cream containers in a desired position.

It is customary to shipice cream in two `and one-half gallon or i've gallon cylindrical' containers and to maintain the ice cream in frozen condition in conventional ice creamy cabinets. TheA chambers of such cabinets are of a depth 'to receive one nve gallon container or two: two and one-half gallon containers, and are substantially wider than the containers"y which are free to turn or rotate in the cabinet. Ilhisturn-` ing'ofthe container relative to the cabinet occurs during the operation of removing the ice cream from the container-as a result of the pressure re Y quired: to dip the scoop or other utensil into :the

ice cream, which greatly increases the diii'iculty iii-dispensing the ice cream'.

When two: and one-half gallon containers. are

used, two are` usuallyK placed: in the cabinet, fone on top ofthea other.

within a chamber of anice cream cabinetfancl which; is, adapted' to support and releasably-hold an icecream container in a desired position in the cabinet in a manner to prevent it fromro` tating when the ice cream is being dispensed; to provide a container supporting device ofthe above generally indicated type which is simple in arrangement, economical of manufactureand assembly and which is reliable and efficient in operation; to provide an improveddevice having two complementary parts which maybe secured together and either' ofV which isadapted to. sup'- port an ice cream container andV releasably grip and hold it in a desired' position; to provide an improved gripping device for supporting an ice cream container in the' chamberl oi' an ice cream cabinet having means associated therewith for lifting a container from the bottom oi' the cabinet to the desired position in which .it is fto be held; and to generally improve'- thev construction and' operation of supporting devices ofthe above generally indicated type.

When the upper container isemptied, it;x must be removed; and then either the ice cream mustl be removed from the; lower container while it is on the bottom ofthe cabinet or it must be removed and the empty-container placed.4 below it to raise it to the top of the cham- With the above and other objects in view, whichl will be apparent: from the following deiscription and the appended claims, preferred'but illustrative embodiments of theinvention are shown in the accompanying drawings through"- outl the several views ofv which corresponding reference characters are used to designaterore responding parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view-showing a com tainer supporting device vconstructed according to vthe present invention .installed man ice cream cabinet, which is shown in section; v

Fig. 2l is a sectional'view. ofthe structure o Fig. 1, taken substantially along they line'Z-JI thereof;

Fig. .3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1, taken substan tially along the line 3-31 thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged i'ragmentaryv sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1', taken substantially along the line 4;-4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary-l sectional 'view ofthe structure shown in Fig. 1, taken substantially along the line' 5 5' thereof; v

Fig. 6 is a partial View in perspective showing a gripping device ofthe; present invention in.` the released position; y

Fig. 7 is a partial view in perspective showing the gripping device of Fig. 6' in 'the clamped` position;

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view ofi the. strucf ture of Fig. '7, taken substantially along the.A linel invention mounted irr` the chamber ofA an; ice

cream cabinet, which is; shown inV section; and' Fig. l0 is a fragmentaryA sectional view ofy another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings. andin particular to Figs. 1 and. 2 thereof, the container supporting device of the present invention. is' adapted for use in a conventional ice creamcabinet l0 having a. chamber |.2- formedthereirr and .acover i4 adapted to close thefopening: atr the topf` of said chamber. The containerr supporting device comprises two complementary parts` IG andl adapted to be secured: togetherby means hereinafter described. The complementary parts t6 and I 8` differ only in the cooperating parts oi the. above-mentioned securing means vwhichaare` carried thereby, and each ofsaid-parts, mayf be used: separately, as illustrated in, Fig. 9, whenxity is desired to lill theA otherl part of the cabinet' Ill with packaged ice cream, frozen foods lor; the like.

Each oi' the complementary parts I6 and I8 comprises a generally rectangularly shaped base plate 20, one end I9 of which abuts the corresponding end of the base plate of the other of the parts when the two parts I6 and I8 are secured together. The opposite end of the base plate has the corners cut off, as shown at 2I in Fig. 2, to facilitate insertion of the container supporting device into the ice cream cabinet I and to reduce the space occupied thereby. The base plate 28 is provided wlth'a plurality of supporting buttons 22 formed of rubber or of other suitable material adapted to support the base plate 20 Iwithin the chamber I2 of the cabinet I0. The buttons 22 aid in preventing rotation of the base plate 2U relative to the cabinet I Il and prevent the base plate from. being frozen to the bottom of the cabinet.

A vertically disposed rod 24 is mounted on said base plate 20 centrally of the end I9 and cooperates with a similar vertically disposed rod 26 mounted on said base plate adjacent to one side thereof and in spaced relation to the end I9 -to support an arcuately shaped plate 28 secured to the upper ends thereof by screws 36. A third vertically disposed bar 34 is mounted on said base plate 2U at the other end thereof and in opposed relation to the rods 24- and 26. A gripping band is secured to thevbar 34 adjacent to its upper end and comprises two substantially semicircular shaped bands 36 having outwardly turned flange portions -36 at one end thereof which are secured to the bar 34 by bolts 40. At their other end the semicircular bands 36 have outwardly extending flanges 42 formed thereupon which overlie and may be supported by the arcuately shaped plate 28 mounted on the rods 24 and 26. A. v y A vertically disposed clamping rod 44 is rotatably mounted at its lowerend on the base plate 20 intermediate the rods 214 and 26, and extends upwardly through the arcuately shaped plate 28 and between the outwardly turned flanges 42 formed on the bands 36.V At its upper end, a portion of the clamping rod 44 is bent at an angle of 90 to provide a handle 46 for rotating the rod to clamped and unolamped positions. Adjacent to and intermediate the outwardly' turned ilanges 42, the rod 44 hasvoppoe sitely extending lever arms 48 and 56 secured thereto. The arms 48 and 50 are vertically oiset one from another to facilitate their welding to the rod 44. These lever arms 48 and 50 are connected tot the outwardly extending flanges lz'fby' tie rods 52, having one end thereof hooked through vertical apertures formed in the lever arms 48 and 58 and the other end thereof extending through an aperture in the flanges 42 and receiving a spring 54 and a' threaded nut 56. The portion of the tie rod 52 intermediate the lever and the flange 42 is curved, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 8, to permit theV rod 44 to be rotated fto a clamped position in which the connection between the tie rods -521 andi their as- 'soci'ated'v lever armsdssuch that the 'lever arms arednan `over-toggle position,'that is, one in which "they have passed over the axis of .pull between the flanges 42 to a position in which the resultant force on the connection between the tierods 52 and their asociated lever arms acts to 'maintain the lever arms in a clamped position; 'as illustrated in Fig. 7, rather than tourg'e them".to the released or unclampe'd po'- sition, asillu'strated' in Fig. 6.

`It' will'beappreciated that when the handle 4 46 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction from the unclamped position illustrated in Fig. 6, the lever arms 48 and 56 secured to the rod 44 will be similarly rotated, and the iianges 42 will be drawn toward each other by the action of the tie rods 52, thus drawing the gripping bands 36 to the clamped position.

The clamping force to be exerted by the gripping device upon the ice cream container, which is shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, may be controlled by varying the pressure of the springs 54 by adjusting the nuts 56 on the tie rods 52.

Each of the complementary parts I6 and I8 of the container supporting device is proportioned to support either one large container, such as the conventional ve gallon ice cream container or the topmost of the two smaller containers, such as the conventional two and one-half gallon ice cream containers, when disposed one above the other. Each of the parts is also provided withlifting means which is useful in removing the Alarge containers and which has a particular utility'in connection with the small containers for raising the lower of the small containers into position when the upper container has been emptied and removed.

This lifting means comprises a rod -60 having a circularportion which normally rests on the baseplate 20 and underlies the container or containers held in the supporting device. Referring to Fig. 4, the two ends of the rod 68 are shaped to form portions extending radially of said circular portion and outer end portions which are deformed at right angles to said radial portions to form spaced parallel arms 62 and 64 for receiving the lower ends of the rods 26 and 44 therebetween. A lifting rod 66 is disposed adjacent to the rod 26 and has its lower end received between and welded to the arms 62 and 64 and extends upwardly through the plate 28 and terminates at its upper end "in a reversely bent portion, aiTording a handle 68. The radially extending Yportions of the rod 6D arewelded together for increased strength. The lifting means is guided in its vertical movement by the engagement of the arms'62 and 64 with the rods 26 and 44.

For securing complementary parts I6 and I8 together, the rod 24 of the part I6 carries Va bracket 'I6 through which a horizontally' disl posed thumb screw 12 is threaded. The rod 24 of the complementary part I8 mounts a bracket 'I4 having a slot i6 adapted` to receive the shank of the thumb screw 'I2. When the two parts I6 and i8 are placed in position to be secured together, with the base plates 28 in abutting relation, the bracket 'I4 is disposed between the head oi? the thumb screw I2 and the 4rod 24., with the shank of the thumb screw received in the slot 1,6. When the thumb screw is tightened, the bracket 14 is gripped and securely held between the head of the thumb screw and the rod 24 `upon which the thumb screw is mounted. The rod .24.'of .the part I6 may be notched to receive the sha-nkofthe thumb screw, as shown at 18, so thatritA will not interfere with bringing the plates 26 into abutting relationship when the two parts I6 and I8 are secured together.

The semicircular gripping bands'36 are specially adapted for use with ice cream containers of the type having paper side walls. As is most clearly seen in Fig. 5, the gripping bands 36 are provided with inwardly struck teeth B0 spaced about their center portions, which dig into the paper side walls to provide a positive hold on the container.

In a modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 10, the gripping bands 82corresponding to the gripping bands 36, carry a lining 81% secured to the inner surface, formed of rubber coated webbing or other suitable material. A1- though the gripping band of this construction may be used with containers made of paper and like material, it has a particular utility in gripping containers made of metal and similar hard material with which the teeth B0 would Vbe less effective. f.

It is to be understood that in a multi-chambered cabinet, each chamber may be provided with a container supporting device and although the device may be easily and quickly removed, it occupies so little space that when desired the chamber may be employed for storing small packages even though the container supporting device is not removed.

When paper containers are employed, they may be raised and cut oi as the ice cream is usedso as to keep the upper surface of the ice cream near the top of the cabinet and thus eliminate the long reach normally required as the ice cream is used from the container. For this purpose, a thread may be imbedded in the containerewalls which severs the wall at the line along which the thread is disposed, when the thread is pulled. Such threads may be placed at various heights so that several sections of the containers may be so severed.

What is claimed is:

1. A container supporting device including, in combination, a gripping band having ends spaced apart when in released position, means for supporting said band, a handle extending above said band, means interconnecting the handle withthe spaced ends of the bands for moving the ends toward each other into gripping position and.l for locking the ends against separation thereafter, and container lifting means disposed below said band and having an operating handle spaced from said first handle and also extending above said band by which the containers are adjusted in elevation.

2. A gripping device disposable within an ice cream dispensing cabinet and adapted to rigidly hold an ice cream container in a desired position, said gripping device comprising a base plate. means mounted on said base plate adaptedto engage said cabinet to prevent rotation of said gripping device, upright supporting means mounted on said base plate, a band mounted on said upright supporting means adapted to substantially surround said container intermediate its upper and lower ends near the upper part of the cabinet, said band having teethformed inwardly thereof for gripping said container, and clamp means operable to positive locking position for releasably and rigidly clamping said band around said container.

3. A gripping device disposable within an ice cream dispensing cabinet and adapted to rigidly hold an ice cream container in adesired position, said gripping device comprising a base plate, means mounted on said base plate adapted to engage said cabinet to prevent rotation of said gripping device, supporting means mounted on said base plate, a band mounted ony said supporting means adapted to substantially surround said container, and lifting means mounted on said supporting means operable to-.raise said container, said lifting means having its lower end disposed under said container and-its upper end extending through said supportingmeans and provided with a handle.

4. A gripping device disposable within an ice cream dispensing cabinet and adapted to support two ice cream containers in vertical alignment and to rigidly hold the upper of {said containers in a desired position, said grppingidevice comprising a base plate, means mounted on said base plate adapted to engage said cabinet to prevent rotation of said gripping devic'e;-g supporting means mounted on said base fplate, gripping means mounted on said supporting means for releasably and rigidly holding said upper of said containers, and lifting means mounted on said supporting means operable upon the removal of said upper of said containers for raising the lower of said containers into position to be gripped by said gripping means. u v

5. A gripping device disposable within an ice cream dispensing cabinet and adapted to support two ice cream containers in vertical alignment and to rigidly hold the upper of said containers in a desired position. said gripping device comprising a base plate, means mounted on said base plate adapted to engage said cabinet to prevent rotation of said gripping device, supporting means mounted on said base plate, gripping means mounted on said supporting, means for releasably and rigidly holding said upper of said containers, and lifting means mounted on said supporting means operable upon the removal of said upper of said containers for raising the lower of said containers into position to be gripped by said gripping means, said lifting means having its lower end disposed under the bottom of said lower container and its upper end extending through said supporting means and provided with a handle.

ALPHONSE DUGUAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS f Number Name Date 859,605 Kirkbride July 9, 1907 2,074,212 Conner Mar. 16, 1937 2,283,813 Kreiling May 19, 1942 2,292,310 Wilkins Aug. 4, 1942 2,295,609 Shimon Sept. 15, 1942 2,354,935 Andrea Aug. 1, 1944 2,363,256 Manning Nov. 21, 1944 

